Microsoft VP leaves in Education Products shake-up

The Microsoft Education Products Group corporate vice president has left the company after his team was reorganized and placed within the Microsoft Business Division.

Golden

L. Michael Golden left Microsoft last month after not even two years at the company; he came to the newly created position in 2008. He previously was vice president of administration and planning at textbook publisher Pearson Education, and was deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office of Information and Educational Technology.

At Microsoft, Golden was responsible for company-wide education strategy, including the development and marketing of education products.

“In early January, Michael left when Microsoft incorporated the Education Products Group into the Microsoft Business Division, the source of some of Microsoft’s most successful products,” Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos told seattlepi.com in an e-mail. “The idea is to further the integration of education-specific solutions with Microsoft’s primary products – products already in use throughout many educational institutions today.

“As a part of that move, and to underscore the commitment to education, two of Microsoft’s most accomplished executives – senior vice presidents Kurt DelBene and Chris Capossela – are managing the education group’s engineering and marketing organizations.”

It was not clear precisely why Golden left or what his plans are. Microsoft declined to give further details.

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Updated 3:35 p.m.: Clarified that Golden did not go to Microsoft directly from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.